Dinner is served

[Esther]

"Look. I know you're hungry, but biting me is not going to make you get food any faster." Esther tapped the snake on the back of the head, and it reluctantly released its fanged grip on her finger. "Honestly, I don't see why you can't find your own stupid food. You're a snake, go hunt for a mouse yourself."

It looked at her with beady black eyes and flicked its tongue out, winding its two-foot-long body tighter around her wrist.

"Fine." Esther sighed and continued her search for a suitable meal for the snake.

Some time later, she spotted a chipmunk darting into a bush. "Will that work?"

The snake blinked. Esther took that for a yes.

She closed her eyes and focused, tensing her body until she felt the energy of magic gather around her, concentrated in her right fist. A rhythmic thumping began sounding in her ears-- the chipmunk's heartbeat. When she could no longer contain the magic, her fist flew open, flashing a golden light for a millisecond. The thumping came to an abrupt stop. The whole process had taken about five seconds.

"Dinnertime, love."

The snake slithered off into the brush.

[Badgerlord]

Rak, Somnambulist swordsman and slacker extraordinare, saunters slowly down the road. He soaks up the heat of the desert like some form of reptile, a happy, mellow smile on his face. A toothpick sticks out of the corner of his mouth, and he slowly grinds his teeth against it as he walks.

Many found the heat of the desert oppressive, or draining, but Rak had always felt calm and warm there, without ever growing too hot. The light weight, white clothing he favored had to do with that, and sometimes his wondered if the Gauntlet of Ak-Sha had some effect as well. No matter; it was warm, he might as well enjoy it.

His errand in the city of Aksum had gone well; he had been relegated to delivery duty after accidentally spilling his hot tak on one of the chief librarians, but he sure wasn't complaining.

He stops for a second, observing a strange sight. A woman, who looked to be a little younger than he was, was squatting near a bush. A small snake was curled around her wrist. As he watched, she formed a fist, and then released it in a flash of light. He couldn't see the effect of the spell, but it had been interesting to watch.

Walking towards her, he calls out a greeting.

"Hello! What brings you to the desert this fine evening?"

[Esther]

"C'mere, little guy, I gotta get going," Esther said quietly to the bush, "it's getting dark and I don't want to be stuck out here at night..."
The bush rustled a little and half of a chipmunk appeared, followed by the snake, who appeared to be having trouble swallowing it. Esther sighed and picked the snake and its meal up. "Talk about biting off more than you can chew..."
"Hello! What brings you to the desert this fine evening?"
Esther blinked and spun around, her snake-free hand flying to her sword hilt. "Why do you want to know?"

[Badgerlord]

At Esther's aggressive response, Rak starts and hops back a pace, raising his hands in the air as a means of placation. Apparently random greetings were not the best idea in the present, strife-filled times. Maybe he should be less openly friendly. It seemed to put people off.

"Hey! No need to get violent. I don't mean to pry, you're not under any obligation to talk to me. I just wanted to be friendly. See? I'm unar-oh wait."

He reaches down and unbuckles his sword, an ornate black Scimitar, and tosses it into the sand some distance away from him, and smiles apologetically.

"Okay. NOW I'm unarmed. I just wanted to be friendly. Sorry if I startled you."

[Esther]

{{I love how we're switching between tenses.}}

"I wouldn't throw away your weapon in this place," said Esther dryly. "It's getting late, and things come out at night that would make anyone with a brain in their head shrivel up with fright."
The snake balanced on her arm made a small burping noise, still working its way through the chipmunk.
"Oh yes, this is Remi. Say hello, Remi." The snake burped again. "He's got a bit of a one-track mind, sorry. He's also extremely poisonous to any and all humans, so unless you've got some elfin or Kiet blood in you, I wouldn't try any funny business."
Perhaps she was overreacting, but Esther doubted it. Anyone who tried so blatantly to be friendly couldn't have pure intentions.

[Badgerlord]

{{*Shrug* Ah well.}}

A small smile quirks Rak's lips, which quickly spreads into a full, wide grin. His eyes shine with laughter as he replies.

"Then I guess I don't have anything to worry about. Since I won't be shriveling, I guess I'll be able to take care of myself."

He cocks his head to the side as the woman introduces her snake to him. He raises his eyebrows as she explains his deadly nature.

"Well then, you should feel even safer. I'm pure human; I don't have anything to worry about because I won't be trying anything funny, and you don't have anything to worry about because I have that snake to be scared of."

He looks down for a second and then grabs the back of his neck and chuckles sheepishly.

"Right, I should probably introduce myself. The name's Rak, Rak Sinfist. I serve the Somnambulists as a Swordsman and Junior Librarian. I'm just returning from the City of Aksum on an errand. I have a habit of introducing myself to random strangers that has gotten me mugged three times. May I ask your name?"

[Esther]

{{No, I seriously think it's funny. }}

Esther smiled before she could stop herself. Dammit. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sinfist. People call me Esther. I'm a Librarian of the Somnambulist faction." She paused and held out her hand, inhaling. The black scimitar flew into her hand.
"Would you like your sword back? If you don't, I'll take it. I collect swords, you see."

[Badgerlord]

Rak smiled wider as he finally managed to convince Esther that he meant no ill will. He bows deeply but informally, the grin never leaving his face.

"The pleasure is all mine, Esther...NO!"

As Esther catches the sword, she will immediately feel a very intense burning sensation in her hand, immediately followed by the smell of burning flesh. Her burning flesh.

[Esther]

Esther instinctively stepped back. "What? What's wrong?"
Suddenly the smell of burning flesh hit her. She dropped the sword and looked at her hand, which was covered in blisters and blackened flesh. "Oh hell, not this again."
She closed her eyes and tried to focus. A blood-colored aura appeared around her burnt hand, and where it touched, the skin healed. A few seconds passed and it dissipated, leaving her hand almost completely healed, except for a few scars.
"I've manipulated my sword hand so that it feels very little pain, and is heavily callused. Otherwise, the magic I create leaves deep scores and bruises on my hand. I'm not a magic user by nature...I had to be taught most of what I know, and my hand pays the price."
She threw the sword towards Sinfist. "Here. Catch."

[Badgerlord]

Rak looks solemn.

"Sorry, I probably should have warned you before I tossed it off like that. Sirelith is very touchy about who wields it...it doesn't even trust me, yet."

As he reaches out to pluck the sword from the air, the armband on his right arm expands and spreads out into a large, cumbersome gauntlet with a series of overlapping panels on the top. He grabs the sword by the blade, placing back at his side.

"I can relate, to an extent. The Gauntlet of Ak-Sha-" He gestures with the strange device, which folds back up into the armband. "-allows me to use magic. But since I'm not a natural mage..."

He looks at his bare hand for a second.

"...I have to pay a price. Mine's just not on the outside."

[Esther]

Esther raised an eyebrow and stifled a snort. "The Gauntlet of Ak-Sha. What an exotic name." She picked up Remi, who was now sporting a large, vaguely rodent-shaped bulge, and hung him around her neck.
"I suppose I'll see you around then."
Without waiting for an answer, she turned and began to stride away.

[Badgerlord]

Rak bows deeply once more.

"Very well then, may we meet again if the gods so please."

He walks off on his own path, continuing on the road he had been following before he ran into Esther.